Take-up device foe cloth cutting machines



(NoModL) J. WOLF, Jr. TAKE-UPDEVIGE FOR GLOTH CUTTING MACHINES. No?505,741; Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

'4; abtozwn p UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WOLF, JR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB BLOCH,OF SAME PLACE.

TAKE-UP DEVICE FOR CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,741, datedSeptember 26, 1893.

Application filed May 17. 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN WOLF, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Devices forCloth- Outting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesame.

ThlS invention relates to devices for paying out and taking up the slackin electrical r wires, 850., used in connection with electricallyoperated cloth-cutting instruments or similar machines wherein thecutting mechanism is impelled by a current derived through a flexibleconductor connecting with a source of electric energy or power.

In establishments employing a large nu mber of tables arranged upon thefloor of a room of considerable size, say from one to two hundred feetin length, it is necessary to provide for each cutting table, or smallcluster of tables, a separate wire connecting with the source ofelectric supply, on account of the difficulty in keeping a lengthy wirefrom becoming entangled with the tables or interfering with the Work ofthe operatives; and the objects of my invention are to dispense with theextra cost incident to the use of separate wires for different cuttingtables, and at the same time-t0 provide means whereby a wire orconductor of considerable length may be employed, any superfluity beingantomatically taken up when not required for use and sustained in anelevated position out of the way of the operatives, but so as to beeasily drawn upon or paid out when desired for use; whereby the operatorof a machine connecting with a single wire or conductor may readily movesuch machine from table to table without hinderance or the necessity forseparate wires, and without interfering with the work of otheroperatives in different parts of the room.

The invention will first be describedwith reference to the accompanyingdrawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which isrepresented a perspective view, in full and dotted lines, illustratingthe con- Serial No. 474,577. (No model.)

struction and operation of an automatic takeup device embodying myinvention as applied to a cloth-cutting machine.

In the drawing A, may denote a cutting table on which is placed acloth-cutting machine B, (shown in dotted lines only) of any suitableconstruction, but preferably a type of machine of the character inventedjointly by myself and J. Bloch, for which we have heretofore filed ajoint application for Letters Patent of the United States, and in whichwe employ an electric motor connected in circuit with a stationarysource of electric supply by means of circuit wires supported from theceiling or other elevated portion of the building.

0, denotes the circuit wires connecting with the electric motor M, ofthe machine B, and leading therefrom to any suitable source of electricenergy. The insulated wires 0, if of the usual length required for asingle cutting table, or small cluster of tables, would permit of themovement of the machine within a very limited space, and in a large rooma separate wire would be required for each table or cluster of tables,unless a wire of considerable length be used, in which case thesuperfluous length of wire, by dropping upon the floor and tables, isliable to seriously interfere with the operations of the workmen, andalso endangers the operation of the machine to which it is connected. Toovercome these objections and at the same time to dispense with theextra cost incident to the use of separate wires, I have devisedmeansfor using awire of any desired length which may be let out to thedesired extent and automatically taken up and suspended when not.required for use, without liability to become entangled with thetables, 660., or interfere with 0 the workmen or the proper manipulationof the machine.

In the drawing 1, 2, 3, 4:, may denote a series of weighted cords oneend of each of which may be secured to the ceiling or other elevatedfixed support, and the opposite end thereof is connected with theflexible insulated circuit wires 0 or other flexible conductor; theconnections of the several cords being made at suitable distances apartto di- 10o vide the wire into as many sections or lengths as may besuited to the number of cords used and length of wire required. Theseveral cords are each preferably provided with a weight having a smallfriction wheel or pulley connected thereto so as to ride easily alongthe cord when the movable part of the latter is drawn out or slackenedwith the movements of the machine. The cord 1, extends from the weight1, over the pulleys a, a, or other suitable elevated support, to thepoint 1 of the cord 0, to which its free end is fastened. The cord 2passes from the weight 2, over pulleys a to the point of attachment 2.The cord 3, passes from the weight 3, over suitable pulleys (L to thepoint of attachment 3, and the cord 4, from the weight at, over suitablepulleys a to the point of attachment 4 It will thus be seen that eachweight acts upon a certain length or section of the circuit wire andtends constantly to draw the latter up so as to hold the same insuspension, as illus trated partly in full lines and partly in dottedlines indicating different positions of the cords and weights. In theposition shown in full lines, as will be seen, the cords 1 and 2, havebeen drawn out, and the weights 1, and 2*, lifted from their normalpositions, (which are indicated by the dotted lines 1, 2,) to thepositions shown in full lines, while the weights and cords 3, 3, and 4,4, are shown in full lines in their normal positions. When the cutter isreturned to the position upon the table indicated in dotted lines, theweights 1*, and 2, will be lowered to the position indicated in dottedlines, while the slack in the circuit wire will be held in suspension inthe mannerindicated by the dotted lines 1, and 2, respectively. By thesemeans the cutter may be moved the full length of the room, and in anyposition thereof the wire will be held sufficiently taut by the weightsto prevent any portion thereof from dropping down upon the table orinterfering with the workmen, while any superfluous length of wire willbe readily taken up and suspended in the manner hereinbefore explained.The several weights will each be heavy enough to slightly overbalancethe conductor section or length of wire to be suspended thereby, andthey are adapted to be drawn up and let down successively so that nomore weight need be lifted by the operator than is necessary for theincreased length of wire desired for use at the moment, while thecombined weights are no heavier than is necessary to suspend the totallength of wire suited to the Various requirements to which the machinemay be put. It will be understood, of course, that the application ofthe invention is not limited to any particular type or class ofmachines, and that the number and arrangement of the weights and cordsmay be varied to meet varying requirements without departing from thespirit of my invention, and hence I do not desire to be limited to theexact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Incombination with the cutting'machine, the electric motor mountedthereon, and the flexible conductor extending from said motor over anelevated support and connecting the same with a source of electricsupply, of the automatic takeup device comprising the weights and cordsconnected at intervals with said conductor and adapted to automaticallytake up and pay out the slack while the machine is being moved about theroom or from table to table, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with the cutting machine and a suitable source ofpower, of an automatic take-up device comprising a plurality of weightsand cords connected at in tervals with a flexible conductor connectingthe machine to be driven with the source of power; said cords passingover an elevated support, so as to automatically take up and pay out theslack while the machine is being moved about the room or from table totable, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a cloth-cutting machine the electric motorcarried thereby for actuating the knife and a source of electric supply,the flexible insulated circuit wires in circuit with said motor, and theautomatic take-up device comprising a series of cords passing overelevated friction rollers and connected at intervals with said circuitwires, and a separate weight for each cord carrying a pulley adapted tomove along the cord when the latter is drawn out or slackened, wherebyany slack or superfluous length of wire is antomatically taken up readyto be paid out when desired, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WOLF, JR.

Witnesses:

T. J. CoLLINs, WM. LANDWEHR.

